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Scherzer cleared to start Sunday against Braves

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LAKELAND, Fla. -- Max Scherzer is scheduled to make his first start of the season in Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Braves on MLB.TV after getting through a lengthy session of batting practice without trouble.

Scherzer threw 50 pitches and said he felt fine. At this point, Scherzer is ready to approach Sunday like he would any normal Spring Training outing.

The debut at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, Scherzer said, will allow him to get six starts. The right-hander made seven starts last spring, but he believes six is enough for him to be ready for the regular season.

"I didn't want to increase my Spring Training load," Scherzer said. "We looked at last year, and there was no reason for me to take on extra starts."

Scherzer said the muscular soreness in his shoulder that he battled last fall is no longer a problem. The main concern is the wear and tear of his innings totals over the last couple years, topping 210 each time when postseason starts are included.